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Independent and Revolutionary. These two words
embody what it is to be an American as well as a
Mason. On July 4th we pause to celebrate the brave men
who forged a country out of wilderness with blood and
guts. We have all heard the countless stories of how
the Freemasons directly influenced the building of the
precepts of our great country. Numerous Freemasons
stepped out of the secrecy of their Blue Lodges to help
create the freedoms we now enjoy. Besides the image
of George Washington on our one dollar bill, the next
most identifiable may be our first President wearing his
Masonic Apron. In school we learned about how the
original thirteen colonies strived to be independent of
a suppressive monarch. We believe all men are equal.
The walls of our Blue Lodges are adorned with plaques
and banners engraved with the names of Masons who
are counted among our Founding Fathers. We are quick
to boast of their heroic exploits and are proud to be
called a Freemason just as they were. From within the
confines of the Colonial Masonic Lodges sprang forth
a revolutionary thought… Freedom for All. The world
was forever changed by just a handful of free thinkers.
When America was formed the very thought of freedom
for all was revolutionary. We were an experiment in
how good men, left to be free in our religious endeavors
as well as day to day life, could become great men.
Freemasons continue to be revolutionary today. In our
ever changing world it is hard to think of many places
you can gather without fear of retribution and openly
work to gain more knowledge. In our Blue Lodges a
man is not judged by his vocation, religion, or social
status. All men are equal. All men deserve the right to
be free thinkers. All men can create a better world. I
think that makes our great fraternity just as Independent
and Revolutionary as America was so long ago.
As we enter our parade season I would once again
like to remind everyone that we are invited guests
in these parades. We are not the boss. We have to
accept the decision of each parade committee. After
an unfortunate incident last July we were thrown out
of the Three Rivers Festival Parade, AGAIN. We
were banned from the event for more than a decade
until Ellis Ryan asked for another chance. Last
July I found myself sitting in their office begging
for forgiveness a second time. A Mizpah Shriner,
who was not getting the answer he wanted, called
a female Three Rivers Festival official an off color
name in front of a dozen volunteers. Let’s all
remember, “As you put the fez on your head, it is as
if you are putting the Masonic Apron around your
waist.” The Three Rivers Festival Parade is the
most viewed parade in Northeast Indiana. Last year
80,000 spectators lined the streets of Fort Wayne
with an estimated 100,000 watching from home. I
am willing to swallow my pride and do whatever it
takes to secure the future of Mizpah, but this is our
last chance. Please be patient at all of this season’s
parades. We need them more than they need us.
Remember, Imperial Parade is Monday July 1st @
7:00 pm. Three Rivers Festival is Saturday July 13th @ 9:00 am. Orland Parade is July 27th @ 9:00 am.
Your Humble Servant,
Mike Hardiek, Potentate
Mizpah Shrine Center
Independent and Revolutionary. These two words
embody what it is to be an American as well as a
Mason. On July 4th we pause to celebrate the brave men
who forged a country out of wilderness with blood and
guts. We have all heard the countless stories of how
the Freemasons directly influenced the building of the
precepts of our great country. Numerous Freemasons
stepped out of the secrecy of their Blue Lodges to help
create the freedoms we now enjoy. Besides the image
of George Washington on our one dollar bill, the next
most identifiable may be our first President wearing his
Masonic Apron. In school we learned about how the
original thirteen colonies strived to be independent of
a suppressive monarch. We believe all men are equal.
The walls of our Blue Lodges are adorned with plaques
and banners engraved with the names of Masons who
are counted among our Founding Fathers. We are quick
to boast of their heroic exploits and are proud to be
called a Freemason just as they were. From within the
confines of the Colonial Masonic Lodges sprang forth
a revolutionary thought… Freedom for All. The world
was forever changed by just a handful of free thinkers.
When America was formed the very thought of freedom
for all was revolutionary. We were an experiment in
how good men, left to be free in our religious endeavors
as well as day to day life, could become great men.
Freemasons continue to be revolutionary today. In our
ever changing world it is hard to think of many places
you can gather without fear of retribution and openly
work to gain more knowledge. In our Blue Lodges a
man is not judged by his vocation, religion, or social
status. All men are equal. All men deserve the right to
be free thinkers. All men can create a better world. I
think that makes our great fraternity just as Independent
and Revolutionary as America was so long ago.
As we enter our parade season I would once again like to remind everyone that we are invited guests in these parades. We are not the boss. We have to accept the decision of each parade committee. After an unfortunate incident last July we were thrown out of the Three Rivers Festival Parade, AGAIN. We were banned from the event for more than a decade until Ellis Ryan asked for another chance. Last July I found myself sitting in their office begging for forgiveness a second time. A Mizpah Shriner, who was not getting the answer he wanted, called a female Three Rivers Festival official an off color name in front of a dozen volunteers. Let’s all remember, “As you put the fez on your head, it is as if you are putting the Masonic Apron around your waist.” The Three Rivers Festival Parade is the most viewed parade in Northeast Indiana. Last year 80,000 spectators lined the streets of Fort Wayne with an estimated 100,000 watching from home. I am willing to swallow my pride and do whatever it takes to secure the future of Mizpah, but this is our last chance. Please be patient at all of this season’s parades. We need them more than they need us.
Remember, Imperial Parade is Monday July 1st @ 7:00 pm. Three Rivers Festival is Saturday July 13th @ 9:00 am. Orland Parade is July 27th @ 9:00 am.
Your Humble Servant,
Mike Hardiek, Potentate
Mizpah Shrine Center
As we enter our parade season I would once again like to remind everyone that we are invited guests in these parades. We are not the boss. We have to accept the decision of each parade committee. After an unfortunate incident last July we were thrown out of the Three Rivers Festival Parade, AGAIN. We were banned from the event for more than a decade until Ellis Ryan asked for another chance. Last July I found myself sitting in their office begging for forgiveness a second time. A Mizpah Shriner, who was not getting the answer he wanted, called a female Three Rivers Festival official an off color name in front of a dozen volunteers. Let’s all remember, “As you put the fez on your head, it is as if you are putting the Masonic Apron around your waist.” The Three Rivers Festival Parade is the most viewed parade in Northeast Indiana. Last year 80,000 spectators lined the streets of Fort Wayne with an estimated 100,000 watching from home. I am willing to swallow my pride and do whatever it takes to secure the future of Mizpah, but this is our last chance. Please be patient at all of this season’s parades. We need them more than they need us.
Remember, Imperial Parade is Monday July 1st @ 7:00 pm. Three Rivers Festival is Saturday July 13th @ 9:00 am. Orland Parade is July 27th @ 9:00 am.
Your Humble Servant,
Mike Hardiek, Potentate
Mizpah Shrine Center
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